Sect, III.] United States of America. 21a 



by the friends of literature in America and in 

 Great Britain. Valuable contributions were 

 made to it, not only by Franklin, and his literary 

 friends and countrymen, but also by his corre- 

 spondent Mr. Collinson, by Thomas and Richard 

 Penn, and others. From that period to the pre- 

 sent it has been continually growing ; and now, 

 in conjunction with the Loganian library, forms 

 the largest and best collection of books in the 

 United States*. 



In 1749 Dr. Franklin drew up tlie plan of an 

 academy, to be erected in the city of Philadel- 

 phia, which was adopted and liberally encou- 

 raged ; and the seminary was established ^n the 

 beginning of the following year. In 1153, 

 through the interposition of his learned and phi- 

 losophic friend Mr. Collinson f , a charter was 

 obtained for this academy, from the proprietors 

 of the province, accompanied with a liberal do- 

 nation towards its funds. In 17«5o an additional 

 charter was granted, extending the plan of the 



* The city librarj/ of Philadelphia contains, at present, between 

 eleven and twelve thousand volumes — say eleven thousand five 

 hundred. The Lo^rt?»zVm library consists of about three thou- 

 sand five hundred, making in the whole a collection of fifteen 

 thousand volumes. 



f Peter Collinson, F. Jl-S., was a native of Westmoreland, ai^d 

 resided the greater part of his life in London. lie was much 

 distinguished by his fondjiess for natural history, and also Ijy his 

 desire and exertions to promote literature and science in the 

 American colonies. He long -maintained a friendly correspon- 

 dence witii lieutenant-governor Golden of NewYorJc, and with 

 Dr. Franklin, as well as with other American gentlemen. He 

 d^ed in 1768. 



